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Backlash
Backlash was a lightweight robot built by Team Nightmare for Season 1.0 of BattleBots. It was designed to be a smaller version of their heavyweight competitor, Nightmare, and had the same weapon system-a spinning flywheel with two metal bludgeons. Backlash competed in all 5 seasons of BattleBots and did well, winning the Season 1.0 championship and reaching the final of Season 2.0. The original Backlash was boxy and primitive compared to later editions, which eventually gained invertability for Season 5.0 as being flipped was a major problem for earlier editions. After BattleBots ended Backlash competed for a short time but now is retired. Robot History Season 1.0 After a promising performance at BotBash 2000, Backlash was one of the lightweights to look out for in Season 1.0 of BattleBots. Its first opponent at BattleBots was Disposable Hero. Disposable Hero wasn't 100 percent complete for the battle, but the team decided to fight anyway. The match began with Disposable Hero backing away from the rapidly approaching Backlash. It managed to dodge Backlash's disc twice before being hit squarely in front, sending it flying. It continued moving, with its battery barely connected, and Backlash hit it again in the side, sending its motor flying across the arena. Backlash lined up another shot with the blade, this time ripping off the front forks. Backlash drove around the back of the beaten robot, and hit it once more, ripping out Disposable Hero's electronics. Disposable Hero was counted out as Backlash did a victory spin, moving it to the next round against The Crusher. The fight started with Crusher zipping across the arena while Backlash advanced, disc spinning. Crusher missed Backlash at first and hit the arena wall. For several more seconds, Crusher zipped around Backlash, trying to score a hit. After a couple more misses, and Crusher hitting the wall again, Backlash finally moved in towards the side of Crusher, hitting it squarely on the side and knocking Crusher upside-down. However, the force caused was significantly less than it should've been, meaning there was a problem with Backlash's weapon motor. Crusher, upside-down, ran into the wall again, but this time, its inverted wedge pushed The Crusher up onto the arena wall spikes, lifting his drive wheels off the ground. Backlash then tried to move in strike The Crusher again, but hit the wall instead. Later, it was discovered that this impact had sheared the shaft that the disc spins on, but the shaft stayed in place. Backlash moved aside to see if Crusher could free himself from the wall, but it couldn't, so Backlash pushed The Crusher off the wall. The Crusher drove into the killsaws, which sent it flying through the air, landing upside-down again. A couple more hits from Backlash's disc, and Crusher drove back up the wall. Backlash then waited before hitting the back edge of Crusher, bending up the angle metal on the back. Backlash was then able to position The Crusher against the wall in such a way that it could not move and was counted out. Backlash backed away to perform a victory spin, winning by KO in 1 minute and 43 seconds. After the fight, Jim Smentowski gave the broken shaft to Gus Steyer, the driver of The Crusher, as a souvenir. Backlash moved onto the quarterfinals against Endotherm. Jim Smentowski replaced the broken shaft and put on a new weapon belt after charging up the batteries. However, there was still a problem with Backlash's disc, as it was hardly doing any damage and stopped after every impact. So, after a few hits and misses against Endotherm, Jim changed tactics and used Backlash to try to push Endotherm into the hazards. This worked, as Backlash managed to push Endotherm into the killsaws but taking a shot itself, causing Backlash to fly across the arena, landed back on its wheels, continuing the fight. After a little bit more pushing and shoving, both robots ended up in the corner by the pulverizer. Backlash pinned Endotherm underneath the pulverizer to score points and left Endotherm under it for a while. This match went on for the full 3 minutes, both robots still running at the end after pushing each other around the whole time, the judges awarded the match to Backlash on points gained. The next fight for Backlash in the semifinals was against Das Bot. Jim was able to repair the weapon system, as the problem was the belt slipping on the disc. The round started and Backlash advanced on Das Bot, which had added a couple of blue foam pads, in an effort to cushion the blows from Backlash's weapon. This didn't work however, as Backlash ripped both of them off in the opening seconds. Backlash managed to get around the back of Das Bot, catching the squared end and upended it, nearly flipping it over, but Das Bot's arm managed to push it back onto its wheels. Das Bot came around for a frontal attack on Backlash, but Backlash's disc smashed Das Bot's flipper arm, breaking the steel tubing and leaving the arm pointed uselessly skyward. One more hit on the side knocked Das Bot out, as it turned off the power switch. Backlash hit Das Bot a couple more times, then finally pushing it into the killsaws, ripping apart the plywood underside. Backlash had made it to the final alongside Alpha Raptor. The fight started and it was plain to see that Alpha Raptor was having drive problems, as it could barely move around its side of the arena, but successfully evaded Backlash's attacks for several moments, even positioning itself on the other side of the killsaws, trying to get Backlash to follow, but got hit by them in the process. Backlash patiently drove around the saws to get at Alpha Raptor, and managed to make contact with the side, this impact sent Alpha Raptor into the side of the arena, by the spikes. Backlash came in for the kill, smashing into the back, plastic side of Alpha Raptor, sending pieces of white plastic PVC all over the arena. Backlash moved away to see if Alpha Raptor could move, but didn't. Backlash came in for the kill again, this time smashing into the back of Alpha Raptor so hard that the electronics were destroyed, sending the battery packs flying. Backlash came around to try to get Alpha Raptor away from the wall, and managed to hit him from the side hard enough to send him flying a short distance. At this point, it was obvious that Alpha Raptor was out, and Backlash had won the fight, and along with that, the championship. Backlash was not finished yet, however, as it entered for the first lightweight consolation rumble. It performed well by ripping one of The Missing Link's wheels and a drive motor from Shrike. Then, it went for Thorn a couple of times, sending it flying with its disc. Backlash then went after Das Bot by hitting its top frame but not doing too much damage. Backlash later attacked No Tolerance II's behind and went back at Das Bot, but its disc stopped spinning and one of its drive wheels stopped in the last minute. It was obvious that Backlash has won this rumble, joint with Thorn for the final lightweight rumble. Season 2.0 Backlash returned in BattleBots 2.0 to defend its title and its first match of the season was against Rampage. In the match, Backlash started by pushing Rampage towards the killsaws. Backlash then tore off one of Rampage's spikes and pushed Rampage onto the killsaws again. Backlash reversed and then went straight at Rampage, tearing off the entire lid. Rampage's lid landed on the killsaws and was sent flying across the arena. Rampage was no longer moving and was counted out. Backlash then advanced to the next round against Scrub. In this fight, Backlash found it difficult to keep up with Scrub. The first hit ripped off Scrub's spike weapon, at the same time sending Scurb flying. However, Scrub eventually lost drive in one side. Backlash moved in for the kill, hitting Scrub a few more hits on Scrub's, wrecking it's weapon, body and tires. The fight went to the judges with Backlash winning the decision 43-2. Backlash then fought Sallad. Backlash charged over to meet Sallad, who backed into the spike strip. Sallad, however, freed itself before I could hit him. Backlash zipped around, the spinning disc beating against Sallad's front armor, but the teeth couldn't find much to grab on to, so Sallad and Backlash just pushed each other for a bit. Sallad gets one great push on Backlash, pushing the rear wedge into the Killsaws. Backlash's ramp got cut in such a way that it was high-centering badly, but both drive wheels were still (barely) able to touch the ground. Backlash was able to get moving enough to hit Sallad a few more times, warping it's front armor against it's drive wheels. At that point, Sallad could no longer move, and smoke started to pour out of his overheating motors. The referees counted Sallad out at just under 2 minutes, and Backlash took a KO victory. Next oppenent for Backlash was Toe-Crusher, As the match started, both Toe Crusher and Backlash moved into the center of the arena, and Backlash was able to hit Toe Crusher a couple of times before Toe Crusher got around the side of Backlash and started pushing him across towards the far wall. Backlash was able to barely escape and twist away, facing Toe Crusher again. Backlash went in to hit Toe Crusher, and landed a solid blow to Toe Crusher's frame, but the impact was just enough to snap the battle-worn shaft that supported Backlash's disc weapon. The whole disc flopped useless to the floor, but somehow stayed attached to the bot. With its weapon disabled, Backlash moved towards Toe Crusher to try to push him into the killsaws, we both ended up going over the saws at least once, but then, after one more trip over the saws, Toe Crusher stopped moving entirely. Backlash maneuvered around to try to push Toe Crusher some more, and managed to position him barely over the saws as the referees counted out Toe Crusher. Backlash was declared winner by KO at 2 minutes 15 seconds. Backlash then fought Ziggo. At the start of the match, Backlash had control issues and was unable to move. Somehow Backlash's disc remained spinning. Ziggo hit Backlash from the side, taking out a chunk from his tire and bending the extended shaft. The impact apparently disabled something inside Ziggo, because he stopped spinning. Ziggo moved in to Backlash, right at the spinning disc, and got hit. Every once in a while, Backlash was pushed within range. The non-spinning Ziggo came in and pushed Backlash from the side enough to upend him, and the gyroscopic forces of the disc took over and Backlash ended up on his back. Immediately after this hit, Ziggo found himself high-centered on the arena exit ramp. Since Backlash was out first, the referee counted it out and Ziggo won by KO at 1 minute 23 seconds. Backlash wasn't finished, however, as it entered the lightweight royal rumble at the end of the tournament. However, due to technical issues, Backlash was forced to forfeit and Jim carried Backlash out of the arena. Season 3.0 Becuase it was a former lightweight champion, Backlash was allowed to skip the preliminary rounds of Season 3.0, where it eventually fought Matts Bammer. Backlash got a few hits on the side of Matts Bammer, who came back by using its thwacking axe on Backlash. About a minute into the fight, Backlash got one good hit on the side of Matts Bammer, tossing it through the air and flipping it on its back, ripping off the entire lid in the process. Matts Bammer couldn't right itself and was counted out. Backlash then advanced to the next round against Skid Mark. Both robots crashed into each other several times and Skid Mark got underneath Backlash a few times, but Backlash came back and flipped Skid Mark with its disc. Both robots continued pushing until Skid Mark eventually stopped moving. With only a few seconds left, Skid Mark was counted out and Backlash won the match by KO. After the fight, Robert Everhart and Team Half-Life all signed one of the Backlash-scarred steel trifoils from Skid Mark, and presented it to Jim Smentowski as a trophy. Backlash was once again in the quarterfinals where it met Wedge of Doom. Both robots met in the center of the arena and Backlash managed to tear off one of Wedge of Doom's wheels, sending it flying across the arena. Wedge of Doom, however, started pushing Backlash over to the killsaws and they tossed Backlash on its back, ripping off one of its side spikes in the process. Backlash's disc was still spinning and it caused Backlash to spin around in circles, smashing dents into the BattleBox floor. Backlash was eventually counted out and eliminated from the tournament. Backlash wasn't finished, however, as it ented the lightweight royal rumble at the end of the tournament. Season 4.0 Backlash's first opponent of the season was against Junkyard Dog. Both robots moved to the center of the arena, with their blades spinning, and Backlash drove over to the side of Junkyard Dog and caught the side frame support, flinging Junkyard Dog into the air. After the impact, both robots seemed immobile. Jim flipped his controller over and hit the 'robot reset' button on the IFI, and Backlash suddenly started moving again just Junkyard Dog was being counted out. This KO put Backlash to the next round against Hexy Jr. Backlash did some early damage to Hexy Jr.'s top frame, but Hexy Jr. managed to get underneath Backlash and flip it. Backlash could not self-right, and so it was counted out. Hexy Jr. moved on to the quarterfinals and Backlash was eliminated. Backlash wasn't finished, however, as it entered the lightweight royal rumble at the end of the tournament. It didn't perform well as it was almost immediately flipped by Hexy Jr. and it was left on its back against the spike strip for the rest of the rumble. Season 5.0 Backlash's first opponent of the season was against Burning Metal. Backlash charged straight at Burning Metal and hits Burning Metal, tossing it upside-down instantly. Backlash tossed Burning Metal right side up and this impact dislodged Burning Metal's spinning bar. Burning Metal feebly tried to escape by the killsaws, but Backlash relentlessly smashed its opponent again, and Burning Metal stopped moving. Backlash spun down its weapon and pushed Burning Metal onto the Killsaws, with bits of Lexan flying. Backlash takes a quick victory spin, and then spins up the weapon again, tearing off one of Burning Metal's wedge arms, tossing it into the ceiling of the BattleBox to the delight of the audience. Backlash won by KO and its next opponent was a rematch against Toe-Crusher. In the match, Toe-Crusher occassionally moved around the killsaws and mostly pushed Backlash around the arena. Backlash was managed to get two hits on Toe-Crusher before the time ran out. Toe-Crusher won on a 28-17 judges decision and Backlash was eliminated from the competition. NPC Charity Event Wins/Losses * Wins: 17 * Losses: 6 Merchandise Any appearances by Backlash in merchandise are listed below: *Backlash/Battle Basher *Backlash/Metal Mechanics *Backlash/MiniBot *Backlash/BattleBots: Beyond The BattleBox *Backlash/BattleBots Video Game Category:Lightweight Robots Category:Lightweight Champions Category:BattleBots Competitors Category:Honorable Mentions in the Combat Robot Hall Of Fame Category:Lightweight Runner-Ups Category:Lightweight Quarterfinalists Category:Robots armed with Spinning Flywheels Category:Robots profiled in The Official Guide Category:Robots that fought on television Category:Robots with more Wins than Losses Category:Invertible Robots Category:Consolation Rumble Winners Category:Consolation Rumble Participants Category:Royal Rumble Participants